“Our mother gave us permission!” she cried, coming down off the porch step.

“Mom lives here!

She said we could stay!”

“Your mother,” Arthur said, unruffled, “was herself a guest in this house.

She holds no title to it.

Her name is on nothing.

And she had no legal authority to grant either of you the right to live here, because you cannot give away a thing that was never yours.” He let that settle.

“So there is no tenancy here to end.